Monday, August 3, 2015

Pittsburgh Panthers Season Preview

Narduzzi and his new staff will welcome back 17 returning starters from
last year’s team, eight on off ense and seven on defense, as well as both
PK Chris Blewitt and P Ryan Winslow... Heading into the fall, the main
priorities are to fi ll the gaps on the off ensive line and fi nd a receiver to
complement Boyd...Th e line should be helped by the return of C Artie
Rowell, who can play C or G and missed all but two games of last year
with an injury...Rowell will join returning starters T Adam Bisnowaty,
G Dorian Johnson and C Alex Offi cer...At the other tackle, sophomore
Aaron Reese will be a viable candidate while redshirt freshman Alex
Bookser, also a leading candidate to fi ll the vacant guard position, is
a possibility at tackle as well...At WR, junior Dontez Ford (3 catches)
sophomores Zach Challingsworth and Jester Weah are possibilities
to take some pressure off Boyd who will be in line for national honors
this fall... Conner leads a talented tailback corps that includes RB
Chris James (437 yds, 5.0 avg.) ...With a year of experience under his
belt, QB Chad Voytik should also be more consistent...Defensively, DT
Darryl Render and NT Khaynin Mosley-Smith return inside... Senior
DE Ejuan Price ended spring ahead of last year’s starter Shakir Soto at
one end, while sophomore DE Rori Blair is at the other with junior NT
Tyrique Jarrett battling Mosley-Smith for starting honors...MLB Matt
Galambos (72 tackles) is the lone returning starter at linebacker, while
Bam Bradley (36 tackles) and Nicholas Grigsby, who both saw action
last year head to the fall as starter with Quintin Wirginis and redshirt
freshman Jamal Davis competing for playing time...Th ree starters return
to the secondary in CBs Lafayette Pitts and Avonte Maddox and
FS Reggie Mitchell (62 tackles, 7 PBUs) with sophomore Pat Amara
and junior Jevonte Pitts competing for the boundary safety position.